‘Viable alternatives’ for those wanting to ditch their cars

THE COUNCIL will provide “viable alternatives” to residents who want to reduce their carbon footprint by ditching their cars.

That was the promise made by Cllr Gregor Murray, executive member for emissions, during a meeting of Wokingham Borough Council’s executive committee on Thursday, September 30.

He also pledged that the council would not limit residents’ car use.

Cllr Rachel Bishop-Firth (Lib Dem, Emmbrook) pointed out that the council’s climate emergency report encourages public transport and active travel “wherever possible.”

She wanted to know: “What steps will you be taking to limit the number and length of journeys which are taken within the Borough?”

Cllr Murray said: “I am pleased we don’t have the power to limit civil liberties because that sounds like some form of totalitarian dictatorship, rather than the democracy that, for the sake of my children, I will defend to my last breath.

“I am surprised that you used that word, but for the record, your Conservative Council wants to help people be more sustainable, not force them to be. Unlike the Lib

Dems, we won’t force people out of their cars.”

He continued: “What we will do is support residents in reducing their need to travel.

“We will also support residents to reduce their reliance on travelling by private car.”

To achieve this, there will be work with “experts in behaviour change” and “incentivising sustainable living”.

This would work on the aim of removing barriers, and see more schemes such as Beat The Street, which encouraged pupils to walk or cycle to school.

He concluded: “Will we limit car use? No. Will we prevent people from visiting relatives, to work or take their kids to school because of an arbitrary quota or limit? No.

“Frankly, I am disappointed that you (Cllr Bishop-Firth) would.”

Responding, Cllr Bishop-Firth said: “I’m not quite sure how you’ve interpreted the question in such a way. Nobody wants to try and force quotas on them.”

She added: “What steps will the council take, as an employer, to explore the possibilities of hybrid working, to allow those staff who can do so to continue to work from home?”

Cllr Murray said that his answer was based on the way the question had been phrased, and the council already had a hybrid working policy.

“We had it before covid … and we’re looking to maintain it post-covid,” he said. “We’ve reduced our carbon footprint of vehicles coming in and out of the council by over 65%.”

He added: “We have to lead by example. We can’t go to businesses and ask them to reduce the number of days they’re expecting staff to return to offices if we’re not, ourselves, offering the same to staff, which is what we are doing already.”

Council leader John Halsall said that work was ongoing to a Workplace Reimagined document, which would show what a council would be like in the future. “It’s a long piece of work, and will come to the executive some time when we know what it looks like.”

Later in the meeting, Cllr Murray gave an update on the Climate Emergency Task and Finish Group, following a report from council officers featuring 25 recommendations to help the climate emergency action plan.

These include items on transport and road building; homes and insulation; renewable energy; and behavioural changes such as implementing new technologies. As part of this, the council’s refit programme on social housing is showing a “dramatic reduction” in energy use. “A resident told me that his energy bill for one month had been cut to just £12,” Cllr Murray said. “A number of authorities, both neighbouring and further afield, are interested in the results of that trial.”

On the Barkham solar farm plan, Cllr Murray said: “I can confirm revenue will be reinvested into other climate initiatives.”

Experts would be invited to pitch ideas on changes that can be made by residents in the bid to be net carbon zero by 2030.

Cllr Phil Cunnington (Con, Norreys) wanted to know if the council’s insulation programme was the same one backed by the protestors currently gluing themselves to motorways.

“As it happens, yes,” said Cllr Murray. “The houses that (insulation) has been applied to are some of the least energy efficient in the borough and tend to be lived in by some of the people potentially at risk of fuel poverty.”